Hot Rods Where were you in '62?

Bumping this. Finally got a couple pictures of my 53 Chevy and Cushman on the first page of this thread.

17 years old and cruising the streets of our small Nebraska town in my 53 Chevy and trusty Cushman scooter and trying to spend as little time as possible in the principals office. Had started collecting Little Pages. I was hooked on 32 Fords. Life was good.

 

Born in 59, 62 is a little hazy for me. It was probably nice since I was still an only child. 63, 67, and 69 gave me three brothers. Life was never the same.

 

My 54 in 63

 

Developing eyelids!

 

My first year at a Roman Catholic seminary...
Obviously, it didn't work out.

 

No...... but I hope you managed to teach them a thing or two.

 

< We were in 2nd grade, different schools...

 

This would be me in 62 with the flat top. Well 6 days till 62. { notice my 1961 Ford model on the floor under the Christmas tree. }

 

This thread makes me feel young. My parents were in Kindergarten in '62.....

 

I have some "flat top" pictures around here somewhere. I like the rotary phone and the Buddy-L camper too!

 

1962: I spotted a channeled 1930 Ford Roadster body in a barn on Gilbert Street. Got it for cleaning out all the other parts that the owner wanted out of the way.


I sold it in 1976, got it back 25 years later, one of the slowest builts on the HAMB.

Bob

 

that pretty teacher looks like she's taking a deep breath ..

 

Searching all over town for a beautiful blonde in a white T-bird.

Chaining the local cop's axle to the light pole.

And a bunch of other stuff.

 

I was 26 years old and going into the service to jump out of airplanes.

 

I graduated from HS in '62 and bought my first car, a '57 Austin Healey, 100-6.

We put a chopped a channeled '32 5 window coupe body on my best friend, George's ch***is, because his stock, full fendered '32, burnt on the Santa Ana Fwy, from a clutch going out on the Olds engine.

 

In 1962, I was either working on a hot rod or in my boat. (Then there was also that high school thing.)

 

Well in 1962, I wasn't even a *****le as neither of my parents had been born yet, lol. Although my grandparents that got me hooked into this cl***ic car hobby, were dating most of 62 and got married late in the year. The 61 Impala we have now is the replica to the 61 my grandfather had ordered new in late 1960 and that was the car they dated in.




Then as far as where Taboo was in 1962, it was near the end of its original show car run. Ron and his brother would sell the car in 63(maybe 64) and the car would go downhill before its redo to black.

 

Senior, LAHS

 

My Parents got married in 62.I fell out of the nest in 65.Dad had a 62 corvair they took on the honeymoon.

 

I knew it.

 

Same place I used to tell my kids when they asked "Where was I before I was born?".....in outer space!

 

1962, first day of kindergarten.
Came home and announced to my mother...
"I saw the prettiest blonde haired girl I've ever seen in my whole life!"
She told Dad what I said.
Dad: "Oh brother."

 

That wouldn't have been the teacher now would it? Didn't think so...

 

Hey @HOTRODPRIMER ya did it again
Well I gotta double dip.
As the fall weather came on, our '53 Ford ( OHV-6 ) was complaining of leaky valves.
So Pops and one of his pals proceeded to pull the head for a for a trip to the machine shop.
I was there for every second doing that what I could. Actually had them both exclaim about my usefulness and the talent of my young hands.
The real payoff came driving home from work we could hear and feel the difference.
Smooth,, new,, power, and Pops said to me, "One day this will be yours".

 

My dad was making a picture frame when I was about 8 years old, he was using a awl to start the screw eyes in the back of the frame, he looked at me and said, "Son, someday this AWL will be yours"

I still have it to this day.

 

I was working at Schifano's Custom Auto Upholstery in Arcadia, California. Dean and Buzz Lowes Roadster Pickup was there getting upholstered there about that time. I was also working on my '51 Ford Wagon.
Wayno

 

Two years driving the 1958 Chevy Impala as a high school teenager. It originally was bought new by my brother, raced at the drags from the fall of 1957 until the fall of 1959. Then it became the tow vehicle for our 1940 Willys Coupe build in 1960.



Hello,

The spring semester was all fun and games. The final high school auto shop took priority as I wanted to get my projects done. I would not have access to a machine shop after graduation. I was looking forward to surfing more and going to college. Both futures were looking up.

Since I had access to the 58 Impala, the drag racing/cruising was spoken for this time period. But, I also had the Flathead powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery and that was the long distance surf adventure vehicle. It took me everywhere from the far South into Baja Mexico to the long drive to Santa Barbara in the northern coastlines for the winter adventures.

No surfing contests, as it was not my thing. Just pure surfing to get better and allow my self a future in the industry. And, countless surf movies to attend with the friends and dates.

The sad thing was, the friends I started surfing with in the beginning were now gone and no longer surfing. Out of the 4 old station wagons, cruisers and race cars that used to go to the beach was down to one faded green Plymouth Station Wagon. And my Flathead powered 40 Ford Sedan Delivery. For the next two years, it would take me almost every spot along the coastline and plenty of 100 mile surf trips to southern OC at Camp Pendleton.

The shorter trips would be down the coast at Dana Point’s Killer Dana and Salt Creek Beach. Those two were mainstays as they were great surf spots, but very public. The Camp Pendleton had the Marines to worry about and most surfers did not want to lose their surfboards to the roving patrols along the shoreline. No leashes, so if one fell off and the board floated all the way to shore, the smiling Marines were there on patrol and picked up the wayward surfboard for their supply at the Provost Marshall’s Office.

So, the 1962 Spring and Summer were full of activity every week. What about drag races at Lion’s Dragstrip? We did go once or twice, but that scene was fading fast. The road ahead for all of us 18 year old folks led to the Marines, the various colleges and me wanting to wander around selling/promoting products from companies willing to pay me to travel and surf. That was a job future as the popularity of the beach culture and surf lifestyle was growing by leaps and bounds. A "Surfing Safari" as a job, no less.

Jnaki

But the one thing during the high school year provided was a fun time cruising at night and every weekend. The local Bixby Knolls drive-in restaurant parking lots were our “home court” places. Every weekend at night, the cruises started and ended up late into the evening with one last high performance power run down the Cherry Avenue drags location. Whether it was against someone or just a single run, it was just as exciting as the runs at the nearby Lion’s Dragstrip. (with more intensity and intrigue)

(The local high school scene still has the 50s diner we used to cruise weekly. It has some resemblance to what we used to do as teenagers. But, obviously, those were the days… everyone has their own history and stories.)

The warmth of the sun almost daily in So Cal, provided us with trips to the local beach hangouts in Belmont Shore. But, as I had other items on my daily list of early morning activities, the afternoons were the time to hang out on those “beaches” for conversation and gatherings.

So, as one can see, it was a fun semester and months leading up to graduation in June of 1962.

The funniest way to end our high school career and escapades in May-June 1962 edition of our school newspaper. As described above, the Impala had some weird stuff on it. But, as mentioned before, the reporter was a young kid with a camera and that was it. He was not a car guy, had no idea what anything was... 61 Pontiac mufflers for more performance? What? His facts sheet was not filled with my facts, he just added what he thought an Impala should have. Even I had to show him how to photograph the Impala to get the best shots.

That was a chuckle for all of my friends, but that paper was a final good bye to high school and that someone noticed that I had a cool, fast car while being a student. I did get sent to the principal’s office as I constantly wore sandals to school and at the time, boys could not wear open toe sandals and without socks, it was a total, “ send to the office scenario.”. But, as soon as I changed to low cut black tennies, all was ok. But, on the way back to cl***, it was a fast change to leather sandals, again.

Note:

Then one final office visit almost had me expelled from high school. On the Sunday of one of the final high school services for all students and families other than the diploma march, we had to attend a conference in the Municipal Auditorium together to listen to all sorts of lectures. That was not my cup of tea. Especially since the surf next to the Long Beach Rainbow Pier at Linden Street was breaking at 6 feet with an oncoming southern swell.

So, instead of the required services at the auditorium, I surfed just a parking lot away for the whole time the services were going on nearby. The waves were powerful and I got some great rides. Only two other surfers were out surfing and both were not high school surfers. But, it was worth it.

On the following Monday, I was called into the principal’s office and he told me that in his timeline as principal, no one had ever, not gone to the services I missed. It was his “glowing moment” as he gave a speech. So, he was ready to suspend me. All the time, I was just smiling at him as he raised his voice and accused me of insubordination as well as a dozen other things… it was one week left to the actual graduation march and diploma. I was guaranteed a diploma and there was no way to stop that from happening. State law and all of the credits earned. YRMV

So, the last straw was to suspend, then he got mad and said expel me from school, I was flabbergasted and told him so. But, he was red in the face and started yelling again. Then after a few minutes, he calmed down and realized that my absence was not an official school day absence. So, it did not count in the daily attendance roll sheet for the state government funding. He apologized and told me to attend school until graduation on that last Friday… HA !!! I marched, got my diploma, threw my cap in the air and promptly lost it in the confusion of the moment… The last action was a good one!

The following week the surf came up again and it was a doozy… thanks to my dad on his day off, to get a lasting memory of those teenage surf days… Hearing out on the water from friends: “Hey Nak, your dad is on the pier, filming again…” with plenty of laughs… But, seeing those 64 year old films of a teenage kid on a cool summer day was worth the ribbing/ridicule at the time.


1962 Huntington Beach Pier 10 foot 6” Gordie Surfboard.

Note:
The digital films created from the actual 16mm color Kodak film reels were amazing. Those years of surfing and drag racing from the earlier years all came to life when shown on our current laptops and home computer screens, let along being able to see them on the large screen TV from the You Tube,
J NAKI Channel. YRMV